Heavy rain to continue following Labor Day flooding in the Northeast
A month's worth of rain could fall on some towns and cities in the eastern United States into Tuesday, putting a damper on the end of the extended holiday weekend.
September began with pleasant conditions across much of the Northeast, but a change to a more unsettled pattern arrived just in time to spoil Labor Day weekend plans for some. AccuWeather meteorologists caution that much more wet weather is ahead, including the likelihood of heavy rain and localized flooding in parts of the Northeast.
The culprit for the wetter weather is a front that continues to slide eastward, albeit at a slow pace. Meanwhile, an area of low pressure is expected to form along this front, enhancing the intensity of the rainfall.
"The slow movement of the area of low pressure will allow the system to efficiently pull moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean northward and into the Northeast," AccuWeather Meteorologist Joe Bauer explained.
Unlike the spotty nature of rain and thunderstorms on Sunday, rain and storms expanded from the Ohio Valley to much of the central and northern Appalachians as well as the coast of northern New England on Monday.
Some of the heaviest, most widespread rain began on Monday night. With the slowness of the approaching front combined with the rich moisture being pulled into the Northeast, the stage will be set for intense rain to move over the same areas repeatedly. Repeated rounds of rain and thunderstorms can cause rainfall totals to approach monthly averages in just a few hours. This weather setup is a process known as "training."
Training thunderstorms set up over Providence, Rhode Island, on Monday afternoon, causing both lanes of Interstate 95 near exit 18 to become flooded and impassable. Some motorists who attempted to drive their vehicles through the floodwaters became stranded, according to WPRI, a Providence-based news station. Radar estimates showed that between 2 and 4 inches of rain fell across most of the city on Monday afternoon, however a few areas just southwest of the city received over 6 inches of rain.
Many of the cities along the Interstate 95 corridor of the Northeast could experience flooding into Tuesday night due to the anticipated rainfall.
During the morning rush hour on Tuesday, slow-moving, repeating torrential downpours were affecting portions of southern Connecticut, near New Haven, as well as the northern suburbs of Philadelphia.
Substantial delays in these areas and others will be possible, as there is a high likelihood of rapidly rising floodwaters in areas where drainage is poor. The zone of heaviest rain will crawl toward the upper portion of the mid-Atlantic coast into Tuesday evening.
Some of the highest chances of flooding will occur in urban areas, where vast amounts of non-porous surfaces such as pavement and roofs do not allow for water to soak in, which can lead to quickly rising water levels. The mountainous and hilly terrain is also highly susceptible, as runoff can flow into narrow valleys and streams.
Flooding due to this system has already proven to be impactful elsewhere with 9.40 inches of rain falling in Pleasant, Indiana, located about 80 miles southeast of Indianapolis. Typically, this area of southeastern Indiana receives between 3 and 3.5 inches of rain in all of September.
At least one person was killed in southeastern Indiana on Saturday as flash flooding swept away several homes.
By Wednesday, the heaviest and steadiest rain is likely to retreat southward. However, a zone of low clouds, light rain and drizzle may persist across much of the mid-Atlantic and part of the central Appalachians.
By the second half of the week, a return to dry, seasonable and calm weather will take place across the region.
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